Chinese Scientists Create Lead-Free Solar Cells With High Efficiency For Sustainable Energy Solutions

Chinese researchers have developed a tin-based solar cell that matches the efficiency of traditional lead-based models. This innovation eliminates environmental and health hazards, representing a notable advancement in green energy. Published in Nature, this breakthrough could speed up the use of perovskite photovoltaics, a next-generation battery technology, in everyday life.

Perovskite solar cells are praised for their high efficiency and low production costs. However, their dependence on toxic lead has raised concerns about large-scale use. The team from Fudan University has now created a lead-free alternative with a record power conversion efficiency of 17.7 percent, the highest known for such cells.

"Our goal was to create a solar cell that is truly green throughout its lifecycle," stated Liang Jia, co-corresponding author of the study. Tin is abundant, safe, highly compatible with solar energy conversion, and easy to manufacture at scale."

Early tin-based cells struggled to achieve 10 percent efficiency due to easy oxidation of tin ions and unstable interfaces between layers. Liang's team addressed this by redesigning the buried interface using a molecular film to form a homogeneous interfacial layer with well-matched energy level alignment.

This method creates a "superwetting" underlayer that guides the growth of uniform, high-quality tin-based perovskite films with fewer defects, according to the study. In terms of material cost, tin-based solar cells are theoretically much cheaper than silicon ones.

Future Applications

This green photovoltaic technology is expected to be widely used in building-integrated photovoltaics, wearable energy devices, vehicle rooftops, and off-grid clean-power systems. Liang explained that this technology is particularly suitable for energy applications involving close human contact.

The development of these tin-based solar cells marks an important step towards sustainable energy solutions. By eliminating toxic materials while maintaining high efficiency, these cells offer promising potential for various applications in renewable energy sectors worldwide.

With inputs from WAM